


King of Hearts

by Cobrilee



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Banter, Fluff and Crack, Just Add Kittens, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-17 21:08:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14839196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cobrilee/pseuds/Cobrilee
Summary: Their world post-Voltron is full of too many weird things to count. Shiro thought he’d seen it all. He hasn’t. (He might have, now.)





	King of Hearts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mikkimouse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikkimouse/gifts).



> A long, long, long time ago, [mad-madam-m](https://mad-madam-m.tumblr.com/) prompted me to write a Sheith fic with kittens, a crown, and a photograph. You get this. I’m sorry. (Thanks to [rhysiana](https://rhysiana.tumblr.com/%22) for reading it over and letting me know it’s not utter crap, and [arahir](http://arahir.tumblr.com/) for giving me the courage to post it despite my reservations. LOL)

“Hunk, pinch me.”

“What? Lance, I’m not going to play any of your kinky games.”

Shiro muffles a laugh behind a cough as Lance swings an outraged look at his friend. “I just meant I’m obviously dreaming, because this is not a thing I would ever see for  _ real _ .”

While Shiro wisely keeps his mouth shut, he has to agree with Lance for once. The image of Keith being covered in tiny, mewling kittens is not one he thought  _ he _ would ever see in this lifetime, either.

The entire litter is taken with Keith, whose baffled expression is both amusing and endearing. He has a white butterball on one shoulder, a gray and white mix with its tiny nails dug into the front of his shirt and gently headbutting his chin while letting out squeaky little mews, and a gray and black one splayed over his thigh, his hand trapped between furry paws while sharp teeth gnaw at his thumb. The last one, a tiny ball of downy black fluff, is perched on his head. It would almost be indistinguishable from his hair except that its bright little eyes are wide open and it keeps opening its mouth to cry out, demanding attention.

It’s  _ adorable.  _

“Shiro? A little help here, please?” he asks, and the plaintive sound hides a tiny bit of discomfort.

Shiro shakes his head, a mock-regretful expression on his face. “I don’t think I can, Keith. I’m pretty sure those vicious little furballs would tear me apart if I tried to remove them from their favorite person.”

“Part person,” Hunk chimes in. “Clearly these kittens are more comfortable with aliens because they’re around aliens all the time, so you’re, like, the one they’re drawn to.” He considers. “Wait, maybe they’re not used to aliens, because they live with these aliens, so they’re not aliens to them, they’re, like, normal. But still, you’re not entirely human, and we’re all entirely human, so they must sense you’re different.”

Keith’s face is red, his eyes narrowed into slits, and Shiro decides to intervene before Keith starts using the kittens as weapons. 

\-----

“No WAY!”

Shiro sighs as Lance’s outraged voice rings out. Keith gives him a look that is half-grimace and half-eye roll, but he’s no more happy with the situation than Lance is.

“Prince Keith deserves your respect,” the creature in front of them scolds, and Shiro figures it’s probably scowling, but there are too many rolls of flesh around its face to tell for sure. “The young lords have chosen him.”

“Shiro,” Keith begins, then pauses, because that single word came out in a noticeable whine. It’s a very visible effort to collect himself, but he does, then continues in a modulated tone. “Shiro, can you contact Allura or Coran to confirm they need us? I’ve explained to our hosts that I have prior obligations and I can’t possibly be their prince, but they don’t seem to accept that.” His voice is stilted, more formal than Shiro has ever heard him, and that… is honestly a tiny bit concerning. Keith is not normally the type to play the diplomat when he can just go in swinging.

The creature shakes its head, the rolls undulating like waves around its jaw and chin. “The young lords have chosen you,” it repeats firmly, as if that settles the matter.

Keith looks at him, the desperation palpable, and Shiro winces. This doesn’t sound like it’s going to be an easy extraction. “May we speak with the young lords?” he inquires, attempting to keep his tone politely inquisitive, but the creature shakes its head again. Shiro is oddly fascinated by the motion of its jowls. 

“Of course you can’t,” it says, its entire demeanor expressing what it thinks of Shiro’s intelligence. “But you may speak to their parents.” 

Shiro breathes a small sigh of relief, Keith breathes a loud one, and Lance scowls as he flicks the jeweled crown sitting on top of Keith’s head. “If anyone here is a prince, it’s me."

“Prince Pain in My Ass,” Pidge mutters under her breath, and Hunk high-fives her while Lance squawks at them both. 

\-----

Shiro’s relief is short-lived when the jowly creature takes them in to see the “young lords’” parents, who turn out to be cats that are roughly half the size of their lions, which means they’re still multiple times Shiro’s size. Their tails swish lazily back and forth, but their eyes are bright and shrewd. He wonders if the paladins will have to fight them to get Keith back.

“We understand you wish to have an audience with us,” the midnight-black one says, and Shiro’s not sure whether it’s the mother or father. 

The white-and-gray one nods. “You question our children’s choice of prince?”

“You bet your ass I do,” Lance grumbles, and Shiro sends a stern look his direction. He quiets, but his face is sullen as he crosses his arms over his chest.

Shiro steps to the front of the group, appointing himself as spokesperson. “We don’t question their choice, as Keith is a fine leader,” he begins, and he can hear Lance’s bitter snort behind him, followed by a pained gasp. He presumes he can thank Hunk for jabbing an elbow into his friend’s ribs. “But Keith already belongs to the paladins of Voltron. He has a higher calling and we need him elsewhere. As much as he is honored to be chosen, he cannot accept.”

The giant cats glance at each other before one appears to… smile? “We had no intention of keeping your paladin from you,” the black one purrs. “We were simply humoring our children. They like your friend.” 

Shiro half-turns, letting a fond smile cross his face as he spies Keith, who’s flushed and looks to be irritated at being the center of attention. “We do, too.”

“Speak for yourself,” Lance mutters, jutting his chin out as he scowls at Keith. Keith sighs loudly, glaring at Lance, and Shiro decides it’s a good idea to get things moving before either the cats change their minds, or Keith and Lance decide to kill each other.

“We appreciate your understanding,” Shiro tells the cats, beginning to back away, purposely inserting himself between Keith and Lance. “We’ll just be going now.”

The white-and-gray one frowns at them. “You wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye to the children, would you?” it asks, and it sounds more like a warning  _ not _ to do that than an actual question. “They would be devastated if Prince Keith were to leave without seeing them.”

Hunk snorts in the background, and Shiro wonders how long it’s going to be before everyone stops calling him “Prince Keith” as a way to poke at him. Probably months, at least. 

\-----

The same jowly creature guides them to the “young lords’” chambers, a different area than they’d been in before. The kittens hang off of grandiose scratching posts, bat at felt mice, and paw at glass tanks full of tropical-colored fish. They may be next in line to be rulers of this planet, but they look just like every adorable housecat Shiro ever saw back on Earth.

One of them catches sight of the paladins as they enter; it mews, and the others quickly abandon their pursuits to seek out Keith. Shiro bites the inside of his lip to keep from laughing at the resignation on Keith’s face when the little fluffballs leap at him, climbing his legs and prowling his shoulders. The gray and black one that had chewed his thumb the first time is now perched on his left shoulder, gently rubbing his chin along Keith’s cheek and then darting out a small pink tongue to lick at it. Keith winces before lifting one hand to pet it, at first reluctantly, but after a moment, with begrudging fondness.

“I have to go now, guys,” he says, and despite his previous irritation, his voice is soft, kind. “I don’t know if I’ll ever come back to your planet, but I’ll say hi if I do, okay?”

The kittens seem to understand him, and several give off distressed cries, while others amp up the purring. Keith gives Shiro a helpless look, and Shiro feels warm inside. Keith tries so hard to act disaffected and remote, but he’s always had the warmest heart of anyone Shiro has ever known. It just takes more work to find it.

The jowly creature stands at the door, waiting for them to finish their goodbyes. “Why can’t the young lords speak?” Shiro asks. “If their parents are able to talk, how come they don’t?”

“Their vocal cords haven’t developed enough yet,” the creature replies. “It will take another year or so before they start learning. Perhaps you’ll return, after that time. They may not be able to speak now, but they have long memories. They won’t forget your friend so easily.”

Shiro loves Keith, but he’s only human. The idea of Keith having to  _ speak _ to a group of cats who’ve clearly fallen in love with him fills him with glee. “We can’t make any promises, but if I have any say in the matter, we’ll be back.”

He watches as Keith begins to extract the kittens from whatever of his body parts they cling to, murmuring his goodbyes. Shiro tries not to melt when the gray and black one butts noses with Keith, purring loudly, and Keith lets it for a few seconds. It’s the sweetest thing he’s ever seen, and he desperately wishes he could hold on to the moment. He tucks it in the back of his memory.

The creature catches his attention while Keith finally puts down all the kittens. “Here. For your friend, to remember us.”

It’s a photo, from after they gave Keith the crown. The black kitten was still perched on his head, a midnight-colored paw resting on one of the gold fleur-de-lis on the crown, inset with an amethyst that made Keith’s eyes glow. The white one had curled up on his shoulder, and the two gray ones were in his lap, half-draped over each other. Keith wasn’t smiling, but his face was soft, and he looked more at peace than he had in weeks. 

Shiro selfishly decides, right then, that it’s  _ his _ photo. “Thank you,” he tells the creature, who nods, fleshy jowls flopping.

“Allow me to escort you back to your ship.”

\-----

Later that night, Keith drops the crown on Shiro’s dresser before he slides into his bed. They’d tried to give it back, but the gigantic cats had refused. “It’s a mere toy,” they’d explained dismissively, much to Lance’s bug-eyed shock, “and our children want you to have it. To refuse would be an insult.”

Shiro had intervened, graciously accepting the gift, and Keith had grumbled his assent and his thanks. Privately, Shiro is a big fan of the crown and the air of authority it gives Keith; he can imagine a few uses for it later.

“Today was so damn weird,” Keith complains sleepily, burrowing into Shiro’s side. His toes are cold, like always, and he slides his feet under Shiro’s calves to warm them up. Shiro will never admit how much he loves it. “Giant sentient mechanical lions, I can handle. Fighting an alien race intent on destroying the universe? Not shocking. A pile of fluffy kittens making me their prince? I did not sign up for this.”

Shiro barks out a half-laugh. “They just saw in you what I’ve always seen in you,” he murmurs fondly. “Determination, boldness, loyalty, nobility. All makings of a great leader.”

Keith tucks his face into Shiro’s chest, embarrassed; Shiro chuckles. “Stop it,” he mumbles, voice muffled by Shiro’s skin. “I’m nothing special.”

“You know better than that,” Shiro contradicts him, and when Keith twists his head to peer up at Shiro, he ducks his head to drop a tender, lingering kiss to Keith’s upturned mouth. “You may be the chosen prince of the Felinic kingdom, but to me, you’ve always been a king.”

He purposely makes his voice gentle, teasing, because he knows the words will make Keith uncomfortable otherwise. It doesn’t make them any less true.

“You’re turning into a sap,” Keith yawns, snuggling back into him. “I love you anyway, but knock it off or it’s going to make me gag.”

Snickering, Shiro slides his left arm around Keith’s shoulders and pulls him closer. “Fine then. I dare you to wear that crown until Lance snaps.”

Keith snorts, but the sound is soft, half-formed; he’s already drifting off to sleep. “That’s fine with me. I’ll be able to take it off before breakfast is over.”

Shiro bites back a laugh, not wanting his shaking chest to jar Keith from his well-deserved sleep. As he follows him into dreamland, he decides it’s worth turning into a sap if he can make Keith smile every day for the rest of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to come squeal with me over Keith and Shiro and how much they _obviously_ love each other, come find me on [Tumblr](http://cobrilee.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
